


The Sharpest Eye

by Londonvetgirl25



Category: Naruto, Warriors - Erin Hunter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24580225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Londonvetgirl25/pseuds/Londonvetgirl25
Summary: Although one is human and the other feline, it was only a matter of time before these two rather violent worlds met again. Wait again? And how on earth would one small Hyuga add in to this odd equation?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! My very fickle muse has been bugging me with this idea. It is a story I would very much like to see.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything/anyone from Naruto or Warriors.

* * *

In a ninja village such as Konoha, the smallest noise, the slightest disturbance can tip the scales and lead to the next great catastrophe. As such, the ninja inhabitants are trained to keep their eyes pricked, their ears alert for these moments. Which is why, in retrospect, it is quite surprising that not a soul noticed a small girl quietly sobbing in the woods. Especially since this girl was already expected to play a role of future importance.

At four years old, Hinata Hyuga was rather quiet and could be considered rather stealthy. Of course, when one has been recently kidnapped then blamed for the death of your uncle by the other members of your family, stealth would be required if you desired a moment of peace from said family. Her stealth had allowed her to quietly slip past the other Hyuga (who may have just not cared) into the garden and through a small service gate leading out towards the forest of Konoha, especially to a small grove beloved by her mother.

Why did everyone blame her? It wasn't like she asked to be kidnapped!? But, of course, these unfortunate events had already led to the iron belief that she was weak. Useless. A liability.

Little Hinata loved the forest. The greenery, the flowers...the freshness and life in everything. So many memories filled with laughter and fun and sunshine... Why couldn't everything be like it was before? Sniffling, the girl tried to pull herself together. Crying wouldn't help her now or ever and she was fairly sure it might lead to someone finding her sanctuary. Using a tree to steady herself while standing, she was surprised when the seemingly solid bark gave way into a hollow, causing her to pitch sideways into said tree.

As she pulled her arm out of the hole, a scroll fell out onto the ground. Curiously, the little Hyuga opened it. At the top of the missive was a strange symbol- a rectangle in which the top left and right corners were extended and a lightning bolt seemed to dissect the unusual shape in two. Hinata unconsciously tilted her head as she tried to puzzle the meaning of the strange shape. It was the mark of no clan she was aware of.

However, the rest of the scroll quickly caught her attention. Not much had been written but what was there was quite intriguing. It seemed to be some sort of contract. A summoning contract! Normally, the little Hyuga would have, very sensibly, been cautious about the strange scroll. But the past few weeks of tragedy and belittlement had worn on the young girl and all she could see was an opportunity. Finally, a way to prove she wasn't useless! She would be the youngest Hyuga to gain a summon! She was suddenly thankful for the boring lessons which had firmly taught her the hand signals.

But as she started the three-segment of signs, she only recognized the first two- bird, dragon... but cat? She hadn't learned that one. But as she mulled it over, she was reminded of the strange symbol on the scroll. Looking at it, she figured it was worth a shot. She shaped her hand into a fist then raised her pinky and pointer fingers at the same time.

"B-bird, dragon, cat!"

To be honest, she wasn't sure what to expect once the smoke cleared. But she had expected something a little more fierce than an amber-eyed, fluffy gray-furred kitten quizzically staring up at her.

* * *

Well, this wasn't the way Graykit imagined his first day in the camp going. Though in retrospect, it may have been a _bit_ much to expect to chase an entire patrol of River clan scum out of Thunderclan territory and thus be made a warrior in the same day.

But even he didn't expect to have his vision clouded by smoke in the middle of wrestling with Ravenkit in the middle of camp. It wasn't exactly reassuring to one moment be looking at a startled Willowpelt and the next, to be staring up at eyes of the palest lavender with almost invisible pupils.

For a moment, both figures simply looked at each other, their heads tilted in confusion. Then with a fierce yowl, the kitten jerked backwards.

"WHO ARE YOU TWO-LEG? WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THUNDERCLAN TERRITORY?" Hinata was shocked at first, then remembered that, yes of course, summons could talk.

"...I-I'm sorry, neko-san, I don't know where that is. T-This is the forest of Konoha."

Indignantly, the gray kitten drew himself up and fluffed his fur out threateningly. Hinata had to press her lips together to prevent the unconscious coo at the adorable sight from escaping her.

"This is Thunderclan territory and you aren't welcome!" Then he pouted. "And my name's not neko- whatever; it's Graykit."

"G-gomen, Graykit-san. I-I wasn't aware of that."

His curiosity getting the better of him, Graykit let his guard down. "What is a 'gomen' and a "neko-san?"

"W-where I'm from, 'gomen' is a really polite way of saying you're sorry, a-and-"

She was cut off at this point by the appearance of more smoke. When it cleared, two more cats had appeared. One was a black and red marbled cat with a very fluffy, scarlet tail and nervous amber eyes. The other cat was very different with grey-blue fur and sapphire eyes. To Hinata, the biggest difference between both newcomers was the regal bearing of the grey cat and its piercing gaze which gave nothing away. Unlike Graykit, who was clearly a kitten, both of these cats were fully grown and clearly unhappy.

* * *

"Graykit, are you alright? What happened?!" The black and red cat, clearly male from the sound of his voice, began to fuss over the grey kitten. Meanwhile, the regal cat kept her sharp eyes on the small twoleg, who was now fidgeting and poking her fingers together in what was clearly nervous agitation but not making anymore movements towards the felines.

"Yes. I would like to know that as well." The grey cat meowed tersely. Before Hinata could answer, Greykit piped up from underneath the male's fierce licking. "I dunno, Redtail- this weird twoleg was staring at me and called me a 'neko-san', whatever that is, 'then said sorry in a weird, fancy way she called a 'gomen' and then she said she didn't know what Thunderclan is and that we're somewhere called Ko-no-ha." The grey kitten said the last word slowly, as if tasting it as he said it.

As both adult cats stiffened at the name, Greykit turned back to the now trembling girl. "These are Redtail and Bluestar, the leader of my clan." Clan, like ninja clans? Before Hinata could ask further, the male, Redtail hissed up at her.

"Why did you summon Graykit, twoleg?"

With a gulp, Hinata answered, "G-gomen-nasai, Redtail-san, Bluestar-sama. I found this scroll and-" She was again cut off, this time by Bluestar. "And what right did you have to use this scroll, young one?"

Uncertainly, the Hyuga bit her lip. "I-I'm not sure if I had any right but I m-meant no harm."

At this, the grey she-cat pinned her ears back. "No harm! How could it not be harmful when one of our young was taken away from his clan." She yowled. Marching up to the young girl, she snarled. "Of course there is harm, twoleg!"

With a yelp, Hinata averted her eyes and bit her trembling lip. She couldn't cry now! But she was so ashamed of herself. Of course she would end up hurting someone. She always did.

"G-g-gomen-n-nasai, Bluestar-sama. I-i-it w-will never happen again." She managed to gasp out.

Slowly, the she-cat backed up as Hinata got her emotions under control again. After a minute of quietly observing her, she finally spoke.

"You are an unusual twoleg. What is your name?"

"H-Hinata Hyuga, Bluestar-sama." With her eyes respectfully diverted to the ground, she did not see the flash of recognition in those sapphire eyes.

The she-cat slowly nodded. "Very well then Hinata. I do not believe you intended harm to Graykit or any member of my Clan. However, there will be a debt to pay for this action."

Ignoring the curious looks the other two males were giving her, Bluestar simply watched as the girl nodded solemnly. "E-even though I didn't mean to, I-I d-d-did something wrong, s-so I need to make it right."

Seeming satisfied, Bluestar nodded firmly. "Very well then, go home little Hyuga. Return here in three days when we will have made our decision."

With that, Redtail picked Greykit up by the scruff and the three cats vanished in yet another cloud of smoke, leaving the little Hyuga to wonder just what she had gotten herself into this time.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi there! Here's the next chapter- I hope you enjoy! Fair warning, I will be changing Graystripe's father to Whitestorm...because. Also, I am thinking of inserting kekkei genkai (not sure if the spelling is correct) for the clans- not per family because I simply do not have the willpower to even begin trying to sort out family lines in the clans, but per clan. Feel free to message me with any suggestions.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto or Warriors. I hope you are having a good week and that you stay safe.

* * *

Upon the return of the three cats, the clan was in an uproar. A silver queen rushed over to the trio and promptly began smothering her kit.

"Graykit, what happened? Are you ok? Where's Spottedleaf?! She needs to look at my kit!" Her fussing eventually rising to a screech in her agitation. Graykit fidgeted in distress. "Mom, would you stop fussing, it's embarrassing." He mewed, trying to avoid the gaze of his snickering denmates. Except for Ravenkit, who peeked from the safety of the nursery.

A large white tom came up beside her and trailed his tail along his mate's spine in a soothing gesture while scanning the confused kitten over for any obvious injuries.

"Mind your mother, Graykit. We were all very worried. Willowpelt, calm down. We need to give them some room." As Spottedleaf hurried over to check Graykit, Bluestar made her way through the crowd. Graykit muttered sulkily, "Yes, Dad".

"All senior warriors, come to the Highrock for a meeting! Spottedleaf, once you finish, can you bring Graykit over as well?" Bluestar's mew silenced the frantic whispering that had been present since the trio returned. As she waited, her young medicine cat hurried over. "Graykit is absolutely fine. What happened?"

"Just wait a moment, Spottedleaf, so I can tell my senior warriors as well." As they spoke, her deputy, Willowpelt, her mate Whitestorm and two other toms made their way. When everyone had settled at the base of the great boulder, Bluestar wasted no time. With a gentle flick of her tail, the leader looked at the small gray kit. "Kit, could you tell us all what happened?" The kit in question needed no more encouragement to launch into his tale of the strange twoleg and her strange words. The tense, almost terrified look, faded from his parents' faces and was replaced with slight amusement and quiet purrs. When he was done, Willowpelt looked to her leader.

"Bluestar, may I take him back to the nursery? He's had a big day and looks tired." As Bluestar nodded, Graykit tried to resist. "I am not!" His fierce look was immediately ruined by an enormous yawn, prompting the purring silver queen to pick him up by the scruff and carry him away.

A dark brown tabby tom stepped forward. Unlike the kit's parents, his expression had gone from grumpy to downright angry. "This twoleg is obviously a threat! She must be dealt with!" He snarled, abnormally long claws raking the ground. "Wait a moment, Tigerclaw." A large green eyed, golden tom with a mane-like scruff shuffled uncomfortably. "It sounds to me like this twoleg is a kit and, cat or not, our code forbids harm towards any kit. Not to mention she has Thunderclan's summoning scroll, making her a potential summoner."

"Lionheart, our code only applies to cats-" Tigerclaw began hotly, but Whitestorm stepped forward. "While I am not happy about my son being taken, he was returned safely and it does not sound like she meant true harm." He stated gently. Bluestar turned to her deputy who had remained quiet throughout.

"What about you Redtail? How did Hinata Hyuga strike you?"

After a moment, the cat in question mewed slowly. "I don't know if she is worthy of having our summoning scroll yet...but she may have potential."

At his words, Bluestar allowed a rare grin to cross her muzzle. "My thoughts exactly. Therefore, I would like two warriors to observe the girl in the interval before she is set to return to the grove. Any volunteers?" Tigerclaw simply sneered and looked away.

With a glance at each other, Lionheart and Whitestorm stepped forward. "Good, report back here each evening for the next two days. Make no contact with her, observe only. Dismissed."

* * *

The girl in question had managed to slip in past the guards (whom she strongly suspected had noticed but not cared) and her little head buzzed with questions and worries all night long. She had just managed to fall into a light sleep when the maid awoke her the next morning.

"Forgive me, Hinata-san, but your father requires your presence immediately in the dojo." With that, Hinata was bundled into a training kimono and rushed to the training dojo.

"You're late." A cool monotonous voice greeted her from the other side of the room, his back turned away from the entrance. "M-my apologies, Tou-san" she replied with a polite bow. Neither noticed two shadows, one gold and one white, watching intently through the screened doors from the branches a conveniently close tree.

"Take up your position." He barked. From there, little Hinata was expected to block numerous strikes and blows. Or shall we say, attempt to block them, as her father did not soften nor slow any of his attacks. Time and time again, the girl was knocked to the ground only to quickly hop back to her defensive position. This continued until, finally, a particularly swift blow knocked her into the wall behind her, stunning the young girl.

"Get up!" Her father barked. When she did not respond, he sneered. "Pathetic." And swept from the room.

After a period of time, for all she knew it could have been minutes or hours, Hinata managed to pick herself up and trudge from the room. No healer in the compound would be allowed to see her.

She held her left arm as still as possible since she was fairly sure she had dislocated that shoulder as she made her way back to her room. In front of her mirror, she grabbed her left wrist with her right hand, then pulled her left arm out and straight, teeth gritted. Lucky for her, the clan library had plenty of scrolls on healing, and the scrolls describing "on-the-go" medicine were a must of the shinobi world, thus not barred to her as other, more advanced scrolls were. This was in fact the second time she had dislocated her shoulder, forcing her to learn quickly. The youngster almost blacked out again but this time from relief. Using a winter scarf for a makeshift sling, she set out to accomplish her other tasks for the day, still unaware of her shadows.

First she visited her sister, Hanabi. Barely a year old, Hinata was content to hold her sister with her good arm and gently rock her. As she watched her younger sibling's giggle, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. No one certainly blamed her for anything!

_Stop that_ she told herself sternly. Everything that happened had happened because _she_ was the Hyuga heir, not Hanabi. And for what would happen in a few days time, well that was _she_ was the one silly enough to fool around with a summoning scroll.

"My lady, your father has requested your presence." Looking up at the young maid, Hinata smiled. "A-arigato, Haru-san. But please-"

"Call you Hinata, yes my lady I remember. But it simply isn't proper!" She called after the young heiress but she was far enough away where she could pretend not to hear.

* * *

"I understand that you wish to have an extended visit to the graveyard tomorrow?" Hiashi Hyuga was not known for his gentle nature. He was well known for being very direct, if polite, and thus did not waste time on small things like pleasantries on his eldest child.

"I-if it isn't too much t-trouble." Hinata mumbled, poking her fingers together with nerves. Her father scowled. "Stop fidgeting and get rid of that ridiculous stammer."

Once the girl stilled, he sighed. "Normally, I would prefer for you to use the time to try and awaken your Byakugan." Unspoken was the opinion that she should have already managed this. "But considering what day tomorrow is, then yes, you may spend two hours there. But be sure to make that time up later on!"

"Arigato!" She managed to squeeze out, privately amazed that she managed to with-hold her stutter. At his nod, she wasted no time exiting his office and finished her studies for the day, before having a quiet dinner by herself in the clan dining room (not being allowed to make herself something from the kitchen for the sake of "propriety") and readied herself for bed. Her last thought was that at least the following day would be better, even if it was potentially her last.

* * *

Bluestar was alerted to the return of her warriors by the sound of claws scraping. Exiting her den, she was surprised to see Whitestorm pacing outside on the rock, claws out and scraping against the rock while Lionheart watched warily. She was a little unnerved herself since her nephew was normally quite cool and only allowed a select few to witness any sort of emotion- namely herself and Willowpelt.

But, once she heard their report, she understood why. A father himself, Whitestorm would feel more protective than usual over kits, regardless of species difference or the events that had led them to their current assignment. Once he had calmed down, Bluestar flicked her tail towards Lionheart.

"Do you think she is strong enough to be a summoner of Thunderclan?" The golden tom hesitated, then mewed, "Not yet... but she showed a lot of promise today in that she kept going. I think she could be, with guidance."

"I see, well, continue to observe throughout the day tomorrow, then guide her to the grove tomorrow night instead of returning here."

As both toms nodded and headed off to get some rest in the warriors den, Bluestar headed to the medicine den. She needed Spottedleaf's advice.

* * *

Have a lovely weekend and please feel free to leave reviews! 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _Hmm…Let’s see, plenty of marigold, plenty of feverfew, low on goldenrod…_ Spottedleaf enjoyed the quiet moments of the day. Usually, these were at the end of the day once the twilight patrol had returned. She loved these times as they allowed her to do mundane, stress-relieving tasks such as setting her den in proper order for the next patient (at least until an unruly kit *cough* Graykit *cough* or an ailing warrior came in).

Her accounting was interrupted by Bluestar’s brisk entrance. “Is this about the twoleg kit?” The tortoiseshell asked quietly. At her leader’s slight nod, she sighed. “I see no reason why this should not happen, nor has there been any word from Starclan against it.” Spottedleaf mewed pensively.

“But, the betrayal-“

“Happened a long time ago, and was the result of a series of accidents; it was not on purpose. It seems to me that this little twoleg will need us just as much as we need her-“

Suddenly, Spottedleaf froze, eyes aflame and gazed unseeingly over her leader’s shoulder. After a moment, she shook herself.

“Never mind. Starclan has spoken.”

“Spoken…?”

 _“Fire will save the clans from the danger spotted by the sharpest eye_.”

Bluestar blinked. The Sharpest Eye… “Is that the **Byakugan**?” She asked her medicine cat.

“I can see no other explanation.”

“But fire has always been feared. How can it save us?”

Spottedleaf looked troubled. “I am not sure. But there is no question that the clans will need the fire and the sharpest eye to save them…but from what?”

Bluestar shivered. “Starclan cannot be doubted. Both fire and the sharpest eye will save our clan.”

She groaned. Her shoulder hurt like fire and throbbed. Her legs were also sore from the exercises she had performed the day before. She started to groan then remembered what day it was. Hinata hurried out of bed and through her morning routine so she would have as much time as she could get.

After a silent breakfast with her father, she made her way out of the clan compound accompanied by two guards from the side branch, their **Caged-Bird-Seal** hidden beneath their headbands (or hitai-ate). Her fists clenched at the thought. The first thing she would do as leader of the Hyuga would be to destroy the cursed seal.

But who was she fooling? She probably wouldn’t live longer than tomorrow, depending on whatever these cats had planned.

First, though, she would visit her mother. It was the anniversary of her death, after all, and it was highly unlikely that her father would come. She would want someone there.

Hinata laid the flowers at the base of the grave marker. Hyacinth to represent her mourning and white lilies to show her hope for the renewal of her mother’s spirit.

“Hello, Kaa-san.” She started. First, she filled her mother in on how Hanabi was growing and how her training was going. She did not speak of her father as she wasn’t really sure what to say without potentially upsetting her mother’s spirit. So, she moved on.

“I-I wish you had told me about the summoning contract, Kaa-san, b-but I understand why you didn’t. I-I was stupid and used it b-because I thought I could use it to stop bad things from h-happening.” She began to rush her words. “N-Neji nii-san, Otosan, everyone hates me b-because I-I am weak and useless! I t-thought that the s-scroll would make me s-stronger, b-but now-“ She cut herself off, wiping the tears that flowed unbidden and unnoticed. “Now they want a debt. I-it’s m-most likely my l-life, but I agreed to it. Because I almost hurt someone else. I-I am tired of putting other people in danger.”

With a sigh, she stood from her kneeling position, an unfamiliar steely look appearing in her pale eyes. “If I don’t die tomorrow, I will get stronger and I will not let others get hurt because of me anymore.”

Hinata gave a low bow to her mother’s grave, then left. She never noticed the two shadows following her through the treetops.

Hinata’s guards had left her at the entrance to the cemetery then returned home at her insistence. She was in the middle of the village and only a ten-minute walk from home, no one would try anything here, especially after what happened last time. By the time she left, it was late afternoon anyway, they wouldn’t have wanted to wait for hours on end, no matter what Hiashi may have insisted. She slowly began to make her way home when three boys, all with brown hair and black eyes, cut in front of her. She stepped back, recognizing them as kids from the village who liked to waste their time by tormenting her.

The tallest one sneered. “Well look who it is. The little weakling.”

“W-What do y-you w-want?”

He swaggered around her as his companions giggled. “I heard you got your uncle killed.” He leered at her. “Honestly, you should just die, that way no one has to waste their time trying to save you.”

He shoved her to the ground before she could make a move. “Come on boys, let’s practice our **taijutsu** , shall we?”

The young Hyuga prepared herself. And to her complete shock, as well as the boys, she blocked his first strike, aimed at her face. Almost instantaneously, her vision had improved where she could see almost entirely around her. She could also see flowing lights through the boy’s body and could somehow tell where he would strike next. The boys all recoiled.

“Eww, your eyes are weird! Weirdo!” The boy’s punches continued, the little Hyuga blocking punches aimed high, low and in the middle, until the other two pinned her arms behind her and forced her down to her knees.

“Spot this, Hyuga wimp.” The tall boy snarled before giving her a black eye on the right-side. Gold and white blurs launched themselves at the boys from the trees, hissing and spitting. After a few well-placed swipes, the boys decided they had had enough **taijutsu** for one day and ran. Hinata slowly sank to the ground and as her vision went black, she saw the blurry outline of two cats approaching her. 

Consciousness slowly returned to her. Feeling moss and dirt beneath her, she figured she must have been left where she had dropped. But why wouldn’t the guards have come looking for her? She opened her eyes only to find herself staring at the ceiling of some sort of bramble hut. Taking a few deep breaths to help center herself, she looked around. The hut was empty aside from some strange nests made of moss and leaves and shelves filled with neatly sorted plants and seeds.

Suddenly, a dappled white, red and black cat slipped through the opening. The little Hyuga gasped. This cat was huge! Hinata in a sitting position came up to its knee, standing she would have been just reached her shoulder!

“Oh, good, you’re awake sweetling.” The cat exclaimed, obviously female by her voice. “How do you feel?” She began to nose and nudge Hinata all over, as the bewildered girl could only stare.

“B-But you’re so b-big!” The four-year old blurted out then blushed. “Gomen-nasai, neko-san.” The cat, instead of being angry as Hinata expected, only looked highly amused.

“Quite alright, dear, but I’m not big. Lionheart is big!” She chuckled. Seeing that the girl was still confused, she mewed gently.

“Honey, you’re much smaller now. That’s what happens when twolegs are brought into our realm.”

“You mean humans?” The she-cat tilted her head. “I suppose so. Anyway, you suffered quite a nasty blow to the face, but you will be fine. Expect a headache for the next day. Come back here if it lasts longer or your vision doesn’t improve.”

Hinata nodded thoughtfully. “Arigato, neko-san. But I thought I wasn’t expected until tomorrow.”

“You mean until today, you’ve been unconscious since last night.” Another voice, more familiar voice stated from the entrance. Bluestar slipped into the den and looked at the other cat.

“Spottedleaf, is she well enough to leave the medicine den?” Spottedleaf nodded. Hinata stood and gave a short bow to the gray cat. “Hello, Bluestar-sama.”

In reply, the stern she-cat merely turned to exit, flicking her tail to indicate that the Hyuga should follow her. With a quick bow to Spottedleaf, she scurried out behind the imposing leader.

Hinata gasped. She was in a large clearing surrounded by multiple dens, some made of brambles while others were nestled within various trees and stones. A tall stone ledge towered over the rest of the clearing ( _or camp_ Hinata thought to herself). Cats of all colors, all much larger than the little Hyuga, were dispersed all around the edges of the camp. All of them were staring. At her. Some simply looked curious while others seemed hostile. The little heiress didn’t know it, but this was her first exposure to **killing intent** directed at her.

“Welcome to Thunderclan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So I finally updated this. Just to let you know- from now on I will put types of jutsu in bold lettering. Hope you enjoy and please review! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto or Warriors.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for the wait- I was moving houses. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Warning- lots of fluff! I swear we will actually get to the grittier stuff but this fic will have a lot of fluff in parts. Please feel free to leave reviews! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto or Warriors.

_Th-Thunderclan…?_

Hinata continued to stare all around her. There were cats everywhere! She had never seen so many! She continued to follow Bluestar through the center of camp until they reached a very large boulder which the gray cat ducked behind. Stumbling around the edge of the rock, she realized that there was a small alcove that was hidden by a curtain of lichen.

“Well?” Bluestar’s imperious mew carried through the leaves. “Come in!”

The little Hyūga timidly obeyed, cautiously parting the vines and slipping inside. When her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she saw she was in a small cave that was empty of anything aside from a small nest of moss and leaves at the back and the nest’s probable owner who stared at her intently. It was hard to determine what she was thinking.

Not entirely sure what to do with the excruciating silence, she took action. She knelt before the older cat, crouching down and leaning on the ground with one fist, head lowered as taught to her by her incredibly formal family. Missing the surprise that flitted across the leader’s face, she took a deep breath and clearly stated “I accept whatever punishment you have chosen for me, Bluestar-sama.”

When the silence lingered, she sneaked a look up before looking down again. The she-cat continued to stare at her, lost in thought until…

“So be it. As you brought one of our own into your realm without permission, we have brought you into ours. However, as Graykit was returned unharmed, you shall also be returned to yours. But I cannot ignore the possibilities of what might have happened to him had you been in a more dangerous situation or if your intentions had been…less friendly. Therefore, we, the cats of Thunderclan, will retain the right to summon you to our realm as needed. We also have judged you to be unworthy of being our summoner...”

Hinata drooped until Bluestar continued “For now. Therefore, we shall oversee your progress and if you actually become worthy of being our summoner. This includes not only strengthening yourself but also understanding our culture and history. So, we shall summon you to our realm every other night where you shall learn our ways. In the meantime, you are not to speak of this to anyone in your realm without our express permission. Am I clear?”

She looked pleased at her slow nod. “Good. Report to Whitestorm, the large white cat” Bluestar filled in at the girl’s blank stare “for your first assignments. That is all.”

* * *

The little Hyūga almost fell out of the den, not quite believing her luck. She was alive! Not only that, it sounded like they wanted to give her some sort of training, away from the cold, judging stares of the Hyūga. It was almost too good to be true.

She rounded the boulder, only to find a large white cat waiting for her. “Ar-are y-you W-Whitestorm?” At the cat’s brief nod, she gave a polite bow from the waist before having to crane her neck to meet his eyes. “Bluestar-sama t-told me t-to report to you, Whitestorm-san.”

He gave her an approving look and twitched his whiskers in some amusement. “Indeed. Well done for not running away from the consequences. Anyway, I want you to come with me so I can show you our camp and explain the basics.”

The white male cat (a tom, Hinata suddenly remembered was the proper term) laid his paw on the boulder they were standing next to and flicked his ears at her which she somehow understood to mean _pay attention_.

“As you know, you are now in the Thunderclan camp. We are one of the four clans of Warrior cats, the other three being Riverclan, Windclan and Shadowclan. You will be shown their borders later. We, the Warrior cats, live by a strict code- the Warrior code as laid down by our ancestors who now guide us from Starclan.”

Glancing at her to make sure Hinata was following, he continued. “This is the Highrock where all announcements and ceremonies are performed by our Leader.” He trotted away, leaving her to follow. Part of her was amazed at how easily she understood him despite the fact that much of their language seemed to be conveyed not just by words but by gestures and body language.

They passed by the cave where she had woken up in. “That is the medicine den where our medicine cats reside.” Gesturing with his whiskers, he continued “They are charged with healing our sick and wounded. They also commune regularly with our ancestors in Starclan so that we may receive their guidance.”

Whitestorm led her over to a large den made of brambles on the other side of the camp. He caught her eyeing a large stone structure, containing multiple shelves with piles of dead rodents and other small animals. “That is the fresh-kill storage, where we keep our game until it is distributed to other members of the clan. According to our code, the queens and elders are fed first, then the others may eat.”

He came to a halt outside yet another den, this one quite large and had a surprisingly small entrance. “All kits of the clan are raised in the nursery by the queens until they reach 12 years old.” At her surprised look, he blinked curiously before he flicked his tail with realization.

“Unlike the cats you may be familiar with, we live much longer lifespans, much more similar to those of twolegs, er- humans I believe you called them. Now come inside, we need to meet the queens.”

After slipping in with the brambles tugging at her hair, she blinked to adjust her eyes to the darkened interior and scene of mild chaos. This den had multiple nests that were large, as large as her bed at home, and had feathers woven in amongst the dried moss and grass, clearly meaning to increase their comfort. In the nests lay four female cats ( _the queens_ Hinata reminded herself). A pale grey cat chatted with a smaller tabby that was a somewhat darker gray. A third queen, a magnificent golden cat, watched quietly while the final queen, a paler gold queen, kneaded at her nest grumpily. Meanwhile, kittens of every color wrestled and played all around the nests with the exception of a black kitten who watched nervously from beside the large gold queen.

Everything stopped the moment Whitestorm slid in behind her.

“Whitestorm, what’s this?” The grumpy cat asked, curling her tail around a brown kitten and pulling him closer.

“This is the twoleg who had Thunderclan’s scroll.”

“And who took Graykit?” The same cat hissed.

When Whitestorm simply looked at her, she made herself take a trembling step forward while poking her fingers together.

“G-Gomen n-n-nasai. M-my name is H-Hyuga H-H-Hinata. I-I am very s-sorry for t-taking G-Graykit and-“

“That’s quite alright, young one.” This was the larger golden cat, who swept her extremely fluffy tail around Hinata to gently nudge her closer as she purred. “No harm was done, and you seem to realize what could have happened.” She blinked slowly at the little bluette, causing her to cock her head in curiosity.

Whitestorm gulped. Unnoticed by the little human, both his mate and Goldenflower had stars in their eyes upon seeing her and a possessive gleam. He really hoped he wouldn’t have to step in if either queen tried to claim her then fight over it. As skilled a warrior as he was, no tom really wanted to face his own mate. Unspoken laws of the universe dictated that the queen would always win.

He spoke up quickly. “Hinata, these are Willowpelt, Brindleface, Goldenflower and Speckletail; the queens of the clan.” He pointed to each cat with his muzzle and watched as the little Hyuga nodded at each name.

Before he could continue, a small gray blur rammed into Hinata, knocking her down.

“Graykit!” Willowpelt hissed, aghast. “Hinata! You are here!” He yelped, jumping up and down in excitement, completely ignoring his mother (at least she guessed from the interaction). She righted herself with a small giggle as Graykit whipped around.

“Hey guys, I told you she was real!” He boasted. “She summoned me because I’m the best.” Two other kittens wandered over. They all came up to about her chest when on all fours and would be around the same height as her if standing on their hind legs.

“The best at what? Bragging?” A lithe tan she-kitten stalked over to eye Graykit critically. Ignoring his squeaky protests, she looked at Hinata intently with jade green eyes for a few moments before nodding decisively.

“I like you. It’s good to have another molly around, even if you’re a twoleg. You won’t regret summoning me!” She puffed her chest-fur out proudly.

“W-what’s a molly?” The small Hyuga asked innocently.

"It’s a female kit or young cat, dear.” Willowpelt purred before Goldenflower could answer, earning her a surreptitious glare from said queen. "Just like you're a twoleg or... I'm sorry dear, what was that word again?" 

"A-A human, Willowpelt-san." 

“Sandkit!” The little brown tom protested. “We shouldn’t trust her! She took Graykit! Tigerclaw says-”

A frightened squeak cut him off. Goldenflower carefully prodded the small black kitten at her side.

“Go meet Hinata, Ravenkit.” She murmured gently. “And Dustkit, don’t be rude.”

The black kitten came closer nervously, looking as if he might bolt at any second.

“I-I’m Ravenkit.” He whispered. “Why did you t-take G-Graykit?”

“I-I didn’t mean to, Ravenkit-san. I-I found the scroll and thought it would be cool to try it. It was a bad plan.” She kept her voice quiet, trying not to scare him further. She didn’t notice the quiet cooing at the sight coming from Goldenflower and Willowpelt, nor the smirk from Brindleface or eye-roll from Speckletail.

“What’s a scroll, and what do you mean by trying it?” This was Sandkit, her head cocked quizzically. “And why do you keep calling him "san" at the end of his name? He’s just Ravenkit.”

“More like Scaredykit.” Dustkit mumbled, only to be glared at by Brindleface.

“San is j-just a really polite thing to call s-someone, especially if they just met.” Hinata explained. At this point, Whitestorm stepped in.

“It’s getting late and she still needs to meet the elders. We really should be going.”

A chorus of moans trailed after them as they left the den, three squeaky voices calling out goodbyes after her. If they had stayed a little longer, they may have heard Willowpelt’s firm mew. “She’s mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...Hinata is now in Thunderclan! Next up- meeting the rest of the clan and getting back home! 
> 
> As for Sandpaw liking Hinata...I feel it gets a little old having Sandpaw hate every new arrival just because she hated Firepaw. So I am going to have her like Hinata- I have a plan for this. 
> 
> Also, I am going to get these cats to use the term "human" rather than twoleg. 1) Autocorrect hates "twoleg" 2) It always kinda annoyed me that the cats knew the names of a bunch of other animals like pigeons, foxes, rabbits, badgers, etc. but couldn't figure out the proper name for a twoleg. I mean- the rabbits in Watership Down called them men and they had weird words like Hrududu! Rant over. 
> 
> As always, I hope you all stay safe and please feel free to review!


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